The Infinite Lives of Frog and Scorpion
Composer/Librettist/Conductor
Jason Brauer
Based on the story by
sadoeuphemist
In the role of FROG (mezzo-soprano)
Mina Azad
In the role of SCORPION (soprano)
Grace Christensen
Orchestra
Helen Kao, flute
Sylvia Wang, oboe
Liora Schlesinger, clarinet
Noah Blader, bassoon
Ella Corbit, horn
Adam Harrington, horn
Joshua Condori, trumpet
Riley Palmer, trombone
Katie Leonard, timpani
Kelsey Choi, percussion
Ethan Booher, percussion
Tiffany Wu, harp
Mark Shapiro, violin I
Mina Smith, violin II
Harmony Chiang, viola
Gloria Baek, cello
Kerry Lewis, double bass
Chorus
Samantha Peredes
Daniela Reyes
Claudia Beroukhim
Cecilia Guiterrez
Braiden Lee
Jose Urrea
Juan Johnston-Chavez
The fable of the Frog and the Scorpion has long been used to teach us that some people are irredeemably evil, and will stop at nothing to harm others, even if they must harm themselves in the process. What kind of moral is that?
The Infinite Lives places Frog and Scorpion in a time-looping, Sisyphean purgatory, asking how the fable might have played out if they could learn from the mistakes of the past.
Setting: the banks of a river as old as time; never, and also now.
Jason Brauer is a composer and pianist concerned mainly with vast, beautiful worlds, small creatures, and the nature of human suffering and hope. His opera La muñeca menor, a magical-realist fairy tale based on the short story by Rosario Ferré involving vicious prawns and living dolls, was named a finalist for the American Prize Thomas Pustché Award in Opera/Musical Theatre/Film/Dance, college division. Other recent projects include Cloud Atlas Overture, a sweeping epic in 5 minutes inspired by David Mitchell’s novel (winner of the NYU Orchestra call for scores), The Lesson of the Moth for Contemporaneous, and Menagerie of Insect Societies for the Rhythm Method. He earned his bachelor’s in composition at Vanderbilt University, studying with Michael Alec Rose, Stan Link, Michael Slayton, Molly Herron, and Jama Reagan, and is currently pursuing his master’s degree at NYU, where he studies with Justin Dello Joio.
Texas native Mina Azad is a New York City-based Mezzo-Soprano, remarked for her rich tone and musicality. Mina holds a Bachelor’s Degree in vocal performance from NYU Steinhardt and is currently pursuing a Master’s in voice at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, studying under Ruth Golden. She has been featured on stages the world performing roles such as Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro with the Berlin Opera Academy, Maestra delle Novizie in Puccini’s Suor Angelica with NYU Steinhardt, and Zweite Dame and Papagena in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.
Grace Christensen is a soprano pursuing her master’s degree in vocal performance at the Manhattan School of Music under the instruction of Joan Patenaude-Yarnell. She received her bachelor’s degree with honors from the Boston University College of Fine Arts. A native of New Hampshire, and a member of a musical family, Grace has engaged in private musical education since the age of 6. Grace received the top soprano score in her NH Classical All-State auditions for three straight years, 2017-2019. She then completed the Juilliard College Conservatory Prep summer program for classical/opera singing. Grace later gained admittance into a number of top conservatories and schools of music for both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. In 2023, she received a month of instruction in Oberaudorf, Bavaria, broadening the scope of her ability and performance experience. In March of 2024, she was invited to perform at the 61st annual Popayán Religious Music Festival in Popayán Colombia alongside her undergraduate mentor Dr. David Guzman. She recently performed the role of Abigail Williams in the Manhattan School of Music’s concert production of The Crucible by Robert Ward. This summer she will join Opera in the Ozarks as an Emerging Artist, and perform the role of Valencienne in Die Lustige Witwe.
Special Thanks
My composition professor Dr. Justin Dello Joio, for his invaluable insight, support, and friendship Dr. Robert Honstein, for coordinating the venue and fighting to make this event possible Aeryn Santillan and Thomas Doczi, for going above and beyond to support our vision.
The orchestra and chorus, for so generously giving me their time and talent.
My parents Chris and Johanna and girlfriend Ivy, for believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.
Mina and Grace, not only for being the best Frog and Scorpion imaginable, but for being the best imaginable co-organizers, hardest workers, and kindest friends.
My co-conspirator Matthew, for keeping me organized and encouraging me every step of the way—it’s much less scary to go together.
—Jason Brauer
The Way the Sky Looks
Ang Hugis Ng Langit
Librettist
Hannah Nikka Odsinada
Composer
Matthew Shreve
Conductor
Miranda Scripp
In the role of DAUGHTER (mezzosoprano)
Jin Alonzo
In the role of DEER (soprano)
Mary Rose Go
Legazpi, Philippines: an empty house in the country. The dark before sunrise. A woman on a lawn chair, dressed in black. A bouquet of roses. From the brush, a deer approaches. A short chamber opera exploring loss, perspective, and countless lives lived beneath a single sky.
Characters
Daughter — Mezzo-Soprano, a human: young, Filipino-American. Drained by the sting of grief.
Deer — Soprano, a deer: aging, twig-like, with a spotted brown coat. Alert, curious.
Location
The front yard of a large house on the rural edge of Legazpi, a city in Albay, Philippines.
Time
In recent memory / long enough ago to be a dream / recent enough to sting
Content Note
This piece engages with familial trauma in the aftermath of a death in the family. With that in mind, the intended focus is meant to be on the healing that follows.
Production Notes
We welcome all potential ways of physically characterizing Deer as a deer, including but not limited to the use of masks, costumes, puppetry, lighting, dance, etc.
The librettist requests that singers of Southeast Asian descent perform the role of Daughter; a connection to the Philippines is preferred but not required.
Hannah Nikka Odsinada is a writer and soprano based in Seattle, Washington. Her stories have been commissioned by Washington National Opera (American Opera Initiative) and Seattle Opera (Jane Lang Davis Creation Lab), and she has performed on stages across the Pacific Northwest. Influenced by an extensive education in voice and theatre, their libretti has been described as imaginative, women-centered, and “ripe for a stage.” On other stages, they play guitar and sing backing vocals for singer-songwriter Elizabeth Anne. BM Vocal Performance. www.hannahnikkaodsinada.com
Matthew Shreve is a Seattle-based composer (currently living in New York City) whose music has been performed by ensembles and soloists across the United States. Their composition “A Lover” has been published by North Star Music, LLC. Their works have been featured in performances by Fresh Squeezed Opera, Opus 7 Choral Ensemble, Tucson Symphony, and Tucson Repertory Orchestra. Shreve is pursuing a Master of Music in concert composition at New York University Steinhardt, studying with Julia Wolfe, Shelley Washington, and Justin Dello Joio. Shreve's compositions are characterized by their lyrical, intimate, and expressive qualities.
Miranda Scripp is concluding her Bachelor of Music at New York University, studying Music Theory and Composition with a concentration in Screen Scoring. She is a multi-instrumentalist, having studied piano with Jonathan Bass, and violin with Kelly Barr at New England Conservatory. Miranda has composed numerous scores for film, musical theater, concert works, and ballet. In 2023, she was commissioned by American Repertory Ballet to write an a original work which has since been presented at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, and live at the Princeton Festival. Already an experienced conductor, Miranda has conducted numerous recording sessions as well as live performances of her own work and that of her peers. For the last two seasons, she has been a conducting trainee at Philadelphia Ballet, where she has conducted segments of the Nutcracker in performance at the Academy of Music. Equally dedicated to composing and performing, Miranda has been a member of the Grammy-winning New York Youth Symphony and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and has performed multiple times at Carnegie Hall and Boston’s Symphony Hall.
Jin Alonzo holds a BFA in Vocal Performance from Loyola University Chicago. While attending Loyola University, Jin served as the Musika chair in Kapwa Loyola, held an internship at Intercultural Music focusing on arts hospitality, and also participated in the EcoVoice project which showcased contemporary pieces about nature. Although their main focus of music in school was classical music, they also love focusing on East Asian music based on their upbringing in their first voice lesson studio. Born and raised in Chicago, they were exposed to a lot of the Chicago arts scene, including having a background in performing with the Chicago Children’s Choir as well as holding an internship with Chicago A’cappella. In their free time, they love sitting at their piano at home and figuring out various pieces by ear.
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Honolulu, Mary Rose Go is a coloratura soprano and actress. Recent opera credits include Tsering in Ga Sho (American Opera Project), Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel (Opera on Tap’s Playground Opera). Recent theater credits include Cynthia/Elizabeth in 2nd Murderer (SoHo Shakespeare Company Table Read), Moifa/Lord Twede/Chaos Titan Behemoth in The Fantastical Fellowship: Final Quest for the Crisis Crystal XXVII (Frigid NYC) and Ninny/Hagen in Der Ring Gott Farblonjet (Columbia University MFA Directing Thesis). Find her alter ego, Auntie Mary Rose, on YouTube with wacky original kids songs about gardening and nature. IG: @shortnmorose
Deer is excited to make their operatic debut. They would like to thank their dear herd for their support. To help my conservation and that of other endangered Philippine species, you can learn more at katalafoundation.org
Orchestra
Malaika Paralkar, flute
Johann Palo, clarinet
Adam Harrington, horn
Kelsey Choi, percussion
Jason Brauer, piano
Angel Guanga, violin
Chloe Johnson, violin
Ethan Tajalle, viola
Noelia Carrasco, cello
Artwork
Jennifer Ewing
Bats Langley
Jonathan Narmita
Hannah Nikka Odsinada
Matthew Shreve
Brady Thomas
Puppet Designer
Nickolas D’Annunzio
This translation, with initial drafts completed by three members of Manila Collective (Dobi Veloso, Jay Marasigan, and Angela De Marie Garcia), was consolidated and edited by Agnes "Bing" Magtoto. Language choice was guided by an orientation meeting with the composer and regular consultations with the librettist to establish context and intention.
In the dialogue of DAUGHTER, a Filipino American, code-switching is present. Sentences in Filipino are simple and colloquial with English words sprinkled in. A few original lines in English were kept to emphasize her thought process.
Translation
Agnes "Bing" Magtoto
Dobi Veloso
Jay Marasigan
Angela De Marie Garcia
Special Thanks
To my composition mentors, Shelley Washington, Justin Dello Joio, and Julia Wolfe, thank you for your guidance and musical insight over the past two years, which have helped me grow as an artist. To Robert Honstein, thank you for being a mentor and advisor, and for helping to make this production possible. To Areyn Santillan, thank you for being a calming presence and tech guru throughout this process. To Thomas Doczi, thank you for working with us to ensure our tech runs smoothly.
Thank you to Hannah for writing an incredibly lush short story. Your work has so much depth and nuance, and it’s been an honor to write music to your words. Thank you to Miranda for taking on this project, helping to build the orchestra, and pulling it together with the musicians. Thank you to Jin and Mary Rose for bringing the characters to life and helping to inspire so many of the musical choices.
Thank you to the fantastic artists, musicians, and translators who have brought this vision to life. It began as a small idea over a year ago, when Hannah shared a short story with me, and it has evolved into an incredible production that has brought together many wonderful people.
Thank you to my mother, Cathy Counts, and my partner, Korey Traynor, for their ongoing support of this endeavor and my work. As well as all the other donors who helped to make this production possible: Amanda, Ratatoskr Yggdrasil, Aaron, Andrew, Brian Bear, Mike Powers, Billy & Tina, Alex GC, and an anonymous patron.
And to Jason, thank you for being a fellow opera nerd and attending shows with me over the past two years. Here’s to many more world premieres from both of us.
—Matthew Shreve